Typically, gaming laws limit and restrict the numbers of sporting game a sportsman may bag or obtain under a particular sporting game license. The sportsman is responsible for maintaining the number or quantity of sporting game he has bagged during a particular hunt or outing, and if the sportsman exceeds the bagging limit, the sportsman may be liable for violations of the gaming laws.
Keeping track of the number of game bagged is usually not a problem for larger game wherein the bag limits typically range between 1 or 2 animals. The gaming laws, with regard to smaller game, may allow for a plurality of game to be bagged, and therefore, keeping track of the number of game bagged may become more difficult. The problem is amplified when several sportsmen utilize a common means for retaining their game during the same outing or hunt.
The gaming laws, as they apply to fishing, typically allow a fisherman to catch a plurality of fish under a fishing license. Fishermen often fish together and share a common means for holding and retaining the fish caught until the outing is completed.
When a fish is caught, a fisherman's hands are typically occupied with a fishing rod in one hand and the fish in the other. The fisherman does not have a free hand by which to open the holding receptacle nor does the fisherman have an opportunity to count or keep track of the quantity of fish held in the receptacle. The addition of several fishermen sharing the same fish holding receptacle eliminates the practicality of having fishermen maintain an accurate running count of the fish caught and placed in the receptacle.